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5 Exercises You Can Do (At Home!) With Your Baby

Now that Cullen is almost three months old, I’m starting to jump full force into my postpartum workouts. Of course, finding the time and energy for those is the biggest challenge. He’s not quite old enough to go to the daycare at my gym, and even when he is I’m not sure how I feel about leaving him there just yet. In the meantime, I’m trying to do as much as I can from home!

I make sure to get a good walk in on most days, and I’m starting to get into a consistent schedule with my treadmill running. But beyond cardio, I really want to make sure I’m doing enough strength training to help me build muscle and regain some of the tone I’ve lost. I realized recently that I don’t need fancy weights or expensive equipment, since I have a built in 15-pound weight that I lug around all day long.

Now that Cullen is a bit sturdier and his head doesn’t need quite as much support from me, I’ve found that I can easily incorporate him into my workouts. He loves the playtime and activity, and it really gets my muscles going. As he continues to get bigger and heavier, I’ll just get stronger and stronger! Here are five things I’m doing at home to get back into shape …

Chest Press (part 1) 1 of 9

Lay on your back with your arms bent, and baby held down by your chest.

Chest press (part 2) 2 of 9

Slowly raise your arms so that baby is in airplane mode, flying above you! Then slowly lower back down, and repeat 10 times.

Shoulder Press (part 1) 3 of 9

Sitting up straight, hold baby in front of you so that you are face to face.

Shoulder Press (part 2) 4 of 9

Lift baby up and out away from your body, and then slowly lower back to your face. Repeat 10 times.

Abdominals (part 1) 5 of 9

Laying on your back, bend your knees at a 90 degree angle. Stabilize baby so he is resting on your shins, and hold onto his hands.

Abdominals (part 2) 6 of 9

Slowly extend your legs away from you, holding onto baby's hands until they are as far as you can reach. This move will really work your ab muscles! Bring knees back into chest, and repeat the movement 10 times.

Squats (part 1) 7 of 9

Stand with your baby held in front of you, and feet a little more than shoulder width apart.

Squats (part 2) 8 of 9

Bend at the knees (with feet facing outward) and squat as low as you can go. Using your legs (and not your back!), return to standing position. Repeat 10 times.

Stair Climbing 9 of 9

I live in a townhouse where our living spaces are all separated by staircases, so I get the benefit of this workout all day long. Hold your baby in front of you, and walk up and down a set of stairs for 10 minutes. Feel the burn in those legs!

Before starting any exercise program, talk to your doctor and make sure you are healed and ready for exercise. Only do what feels comfortable for your body and your baby!

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Content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical or health, safety, legal or financial advice. Click here for additional information.